Doctors reject compulsory MMR jabs

8:13AM BST 30 Jun 2003

Doctors' leaders have rejected the idea of forcing parents to immunise their children.

In a new report on childhood immunisation, released yesterday, the British Medical Association (BMA) said that compulsory vaccination programmes would destroy the relationship of trust and openness between parents and doctors.

But the paper also states that the BMA believes that the triple measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab is the safest and best way to protect children, despite claims of a link between MMR and autism and bowel disease.

The paper calls on doctors and health workers to stress to parents that vaccination is the safest and most effective way to protect children from infectious disease.

Dr Ian Bogle, the BMA chairman, said: "We have looked carefully at the issue of compulsory vaccination and it is true that some countries do operate immunisation programmes where there is some degree of compulsion. However the BMA does not think this would be right for the United Kingdom."